ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Fifty-seventh Legislature

First Regular Session

House: JUD DP 8-0-0-1

☐ Prop 105 (45 votes) ☐ Prop 108 (40 votes) ☐ Emergency (40 votes) ☐ Fiscal Note

HB 2581: tracking system; sexual assault kits

Sponsor: Representative Bliss, LD 1

Caucus & COW

Overview

Directs the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to create a statewide Sexual Assault Kit Evidence Tracking System (Tracking System) to monitor the collection, storage, analysis and destruction of sexual assault kits.

History

A health care facility that obtains written consent to release sexual assault kit evidence shall notify the investigating law enforcement agency — or, if the investigating agency is not known, the law enforcement agency that has jurisdiction in that portion of the local unit of government in which the health care facility is located — within forty-eight hours after the sexual assault kit evidence collection (A.R.S. § 13-1426). Law enforcement agencies and crime laboratories are required to annually report to DPS data on the number of sexual assault kits received and analyzed (A.R.S. § 13-1427).

Provisions

1.   Mandates that DPS must establish a Tracking System. (Sec. 1)

2.   Instructs medical providers, law enforcement agencies, public accredited crime laboratories and other entities that have custody or use of sexual assault kit evidence to submit that information to the Tracking System. (Sec. 1)

3.   Requires the Tracking System to be able to track the: 

a)   initial collection of evidence for the kit in a forensic medical examination;

b)   receipt and storage of the kit at a law enforcement agency;

c) receipt and analysis of the kit at a public accredited crime laboratory; and

d)   storage and destruction of the kit. (Sec. 1)

4.   Requires the Tracking System to allow authorized entities to update and track the status and location of the kits. (Sec. 1)

5.   Requires the Tracking System to allow victims to anonymously track and receive updates regarding the status and location of their kits, along with advance notification of destruction. (Sec. 1)

6.   Asserts that the Tracking System's records are confidential except that they may be accessed by the victim and authorized entities that are responsible for the kit. (Sec. 1)

7.   Defines pertinent terms. (Sec. 1)

 

 

 

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                        HB 2581

Initials NM    Page 0 Caucus & COW

 

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